Task Programme

You don't need any experience to come on any of our tasks, and we provide all the tools, training and safety equipment that you need. If you would like more information about whether a task is suitable for you then please contact us.

Please book with our Transport Secretary before the task. To find out how to book, what to bring and where to meet, look at the page about Sunday tasks.

There is also practical information about residential tasks.

Summary Task Programme

[Print - friendly version]

Detailed Task Programme

Here is a map of all our work-sites.

July 6th Addiewell Bing: tree weeding

Addiewell Bing is a long, narrow reserve of 21 hectares just south of Bathgate in West Lothian, which is leased and managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT). It is an excellent example of how a derelict industrial site - part of the oil shale industry - can be converted into an important wildlife refuge. Most of the reserve is covered by woodland and scrub, but there are also patches of bracken, heather, open grassland and marshy ground with a rich variety of plants and birds. Originally, the area was planted with lodgepole pine to help stabilise the steep sides of this old spoil heap. More recently, these trees have been replaced with native species, including oak and ash. LCV has worked here for a number of years, and tasks have included clearing invading broom from areas of heather, as well as felling the lodgepole pines and planting native trees in their place. This is the last of five tasks at this site this spring and continues the work from 8 June, weeding around young trees planted on the site.

July 12-19th Summer Resi - Torosay Castle, Isle of Mull: access work

The task is access work in Torosay Castle Gardens on Mull. Together with Dr. Martin Gardener of the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens, they planted rare and endangered Chilean pines about five years ago. These are now maturing nicely and they want to show them off to members of the public, as well as to allow monitoring.

Accommodation, depending on numbers, will be between a log cabin in the forest, conplete with kitchen, cooker etc, and, if there are a lot of volunteers, there is some overspill space in a house or caravan. Please book your place by 15th June.

July 27th Blackford Glen: Himalayan balsam removal

Blackford Hill rises to 164m and lies about two miles south of Edinburgh city centre. It has many features of geological interest, including 'Agassiz rock', the first recognisable evidence of glacial action to be found in Scotland. Along with Blackford Glen and the Hermitage of Braid, this is a popular spot within Edinburgh for runners, dog walkers, climbers and cyclists alike.

Having been introduced to the UK in 1839, Himalayan balsam has become a highly invasive, problematical weed, as it can tolerate low light levels. This adaptation has led to its shading out other species, causing impoverished habitats. Also, bees have been shown to preferentially visit balsam to the detriment of native flowers. On this task we will be working with the City of Edinburgh rangers to pull out this annoying weed.

August 3rd Beecraigs Country Park: path construction

Beecraigs is a popular country park near Linlithgow, run by West Lothian Council. It is a fairly large park, dominated by a conifer plantation and a small loch. There is also a visitor centre, a deer farm, a trout farm and areas for camping and recreation. LCV has worked here for a number of years, doing tasks such as tree planting around the blocks of conifers, coppicing and footpath drainage. We have also built many of the boardwalks in the park. This time we will be working with a member of the West Lothian Ranger Service to build a new path near the visitor centre.

August 10th Water of Leith: Himalayan balsam removal

Travelling a total of 35 miles from its source in the Pentland Hills, the Water of Leith flows through the heart of Edinburgh before joining the Firth of Forth at Leith. This river is an important urban habitat for a number of species, including kingfishers, dippers, grey wagtails, bats and recently otters have successfully returned to the river. The river's character varies from upland moor and grassland at its source through dense woodland and urban landscape, providing many valuable habitats, and has been designated an urban wildlife site by the City of Edinburgh Council. On this task, we will be controlling the spread of an invasive non-native weed, Himalayan balsam, as at Blackford Glen on 27th July.

August 17th Beecraigs Country Park: path construction

This task is a continuation of the work from 3rd August.

August 24th Leadburn Community Woodland: tree weeding

Leadburn Community Woodland was purchased from the Forestry Commission by a small group of individuals known as the Friends of Leadburn Community Woodland. The group intends to replace the previous plantation of conifers with native trees such as silver birch, ash, oak and rowan, among others. On our first visit last summer, we helped to clear brash and scrub to create space for planting. This task is our third visit, and we will be helping to weed around newly planted trees. The area is boggy in places, so wellies are recommended if you have them.

August 31st Roslin Glen: meadow raking/ step repair

Roslin Glen is a 19ha reserve to the east of Roslin village, on the south bank of the River North Esk in Midlothian. The glen hosts a relatively undisturbed, mixed deciduous woodland, made up largely of native sessile oak, wych-elm and ash, with a shrub layer of hazel and holly. There are also some introduced sycamore, beech and Norway spruce trees which are gradually being removed. The area boasts a rich woodland flora which includes dog's mercury, ramsons, wood-rush and various ferns. Dippers and kingfishers can be seen in the fairly clean waters of the Esk. We regularly work in both the part of the reserve managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) and also in the part of the glen managed by Midlothian Council. In the past, LCV has carried out a whole range of different work here, including path maintenance and tree felling. On this occasion, we will be raking grass in the meadow and repairing some steps.

September 7th Currie High School: burn clearance

Currie High School is fortunate in having a burn and woodland in the school grounds. The burn rises at a spring and continues through a woodland gorge to join the Murray Burn. The burn is an excellent habitat for fresh water invertebrates and the woodland forms part of a wildlife corridor which now surrounds the school, following extensive planting by Edinburgh Urban Forest Project. Over the last 12 years, the burn has been cleared of rubbish except for the first section, which offers difficult access. On this occasion, we will again be repeating our regular task, helping to clear the burn to enhance the amenity and to improve the marginal plant diversity. Please bring wellington boots if you have them, although they are not essential.

September 14th Aberlady Bay: sea buckthorn removal

Situated on the coast, Aberlady Bay is a Local Nature Reserve owned and managed by East Lothian Council. It is a large area - 580 hectares - made up of an open bay with sand and mudflats, as well as expanses of saltings, dunes and grassland. The area is best known for its birds, where over 200 species have been seen. There is also considerable botanical interest - you can see the full plant succession from mudflat to saltmarsh, to dune scrub and grassland. On this task, we will be clearing areas of invasive sea buckthorn, which otherwise runs wild over this area. Sea buckthorn is quite prickly, so hard wearing clothes are advisable.

September 21st Powmill Plantation: tree planting

An LCV member, Chris Boam, has bought eight hectares of redundant farmland at Powmill, Kinross-shire, which he is planting with native trees with the aid of a Forestry Commission grant. On this task, we will be continuing with the planting and filling gaps. The site can be wet, so please wear wellington boots or footwear that covers the ankle.

September 28th North Edinburgh Cycle Path: meadow raking/vegn. control

This cycle/walkway follows the old inner city railway network, and runs from Roseburn to Leith with branches off to other areas. The management of green corridors adjacent to these routes is organised by a committee that includes the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The aim is to enhance the wildlife value of the network by maintaining a variety of habitats - scrub, wildflower meadows, marsh and narrow areas of woodland. On this visit we will be raking in the meadow and helping to control vegetation to maintain the diversity of habitats along the path and improve access.

October 3-5th Taynish residential: gorse clearance

Taynish lies on a scenic peninsula overlooking Loch Sween, which was scoured out by glaciers 11,000 years ago, and has its own unique atmosphere. The peninsula has many habitats, including shoreline, grassland, scrub, bog, heath and woodland, each home to a host of plants, insects, birds and mammals that thrive in the clean, humid air. Between the woodland's dripping ferns and mosses and the marsh and grassland, it supports over 300 plant species and more than 20 kinds of butterfly.

The ancient deciduous woodland at Taynish is one of the largest in Britain. Oak trees have flourished here for 6,000 years or more - a little longer than people have lived here. Once a source of timber and charcoal, these woods now form one of Britain's largest remaining native oakwoods. The importance of the site was recognised in 1977 by designation as a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1977, and it is now managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. To help the woods keep their near-natural character and rich wildlife, SNH is encouraging the spread of native trees by controlling deer, which browse on young trees. SNH is also removing rhododendron, which crowds out other plants.

We visited Taynish for the first time at the end of March, when we helped to clear out beech trees. On this visit, we will be clearing and burning gorse. Accommodation will be in 'The Bothy' in Kilmartin. Despite the name, this is very well-equipped accommodation, including en-suite showers. Duvets and pillows are provided, but please bring (single) bed linen with you. The Bothy sleeps 16. Book your place with Debbie early, before they fill up.

(c) Lothians Conservation Volunteers 2008

Lothians Conservation Volunteers is a charity registered in Scotland, No: SC020384

Contact Us :: Privacy Policy

Validate HTML and CSS